Burn dressing

ABSTRACT

A burn dressing in the form of a non-irritating, non-woven synthetic fabric containing a therapeutic, nontoxic, water-soluble and bio-degradable gel. The primary ingredients of the gel are water and Tea Tree Oil and/or Tea Tree Blend. A gum material or thickening agent is used to maintain the water and Tea Tree Oil and/or Blend in a thickened or gel state. Other ingredients are also provided for increasing shelf life and for imparting bacteriostatic and penetrating properties.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of copending Pat. application Ser.No. 07/779,180, filed on Oct. 18, 1991; now abandoned continuation inpart of Ser. Nos. 07/642,603 and 07/642,503, both filed on Jan. 17,1991, both now abandoned. Ser. No. 07/642,603 is itself a continuationin part of then copending U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 07/512,621, nowU.S. Pat. No. 5,009,890 filed Apr. 11, 1990, which is a continuation ofSer. No. 07/083,395now abandoned, filed Aug. 10, 1987, which is acontinuation in part of U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 07/032,268 nowabandoned, filed Mar. 31, 1987.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to first aid devices for the care of burns and inparticular, to a burn wound dressing that is useful for decreasing thetemperature at the surface of a burn wound and to help prevent infectionof the wound so as to help to lessen the extent of injury to a burnvictim.

Numerous fire extinguishers and fire fighting devices are available. Ofthese, many of the fire extinguishers make use of asbestos cloth.Exemplary of such devices are those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 360,998issued to J. W. Cloud on Apr. 12, 1887 and British Patent SpecificationNo. 340,172 accepted on Dec. 24, 1930. However, it is now known thatasbestos is a carcinogenic material and its use has fallen into disfavorthroughout the world.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,902,559 issued to Everingham et al. on Sep. 2, 1975 alsodescribes a fire fighting appliance. U.S. Pat. No. No. 3,902,559describes a wool carrier of specified weave. The carrier is stored in acontainer with a viscous aqueous solution until needed. The solutioncontains a thickening agent and can contain Tea Tree Oil, RESIGUARD andPHENONIP. The appliance can De worn by a fire fighter as protection fromthe fire.

Medicated pads and bandages for treatment of wounds including burnwounds, are also well known. Exemplary pads and bandages are disclosedin U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,062,210, 3,089,492, 3,395,063, 3,624,224, 3,657,760,3,750,666 and 4,310,509.

It can be disadvantageous to form a burn dressing from wool. Wool caninclude traces of impurities remaining from processing steps and it canbe expensive to remove these impurities from the wool to assurecleanliness and sterility. U.S. Pat. No. 4,306,551 refers to an adhesivebandage having a substrate with a matrix having a synthetic resin with alivid emulsion consisting of carbohydrate or protein incorporatedtherein. The bandage can be sterilized by irradiation and still retainits tackiness.

With respect to the care of burns, the main objectives are to relievepain, help prevent contamination, eliminate the source of heat and stopthe burn progression. Dry dressings do not eliminate the heat source. Infact, dry dressings retain heat and cause the burn area to enlarge,thereby intensifying the severity of the injury. In addition, drydressings provide little protection against contamination and pain andusually adhere to burnt clothing and skin tissue. A great deal of painand skin damage can result from the removal of dry dressings.

Ordinary tap water has also been used in emergency situations, but it isnot practical and only superficially eliminates the heat source.Furthermore, water does not rapidly penetrate through clothing or skintissue. In addition, tap water does not provide protection againstcontamination and can even cause contamination. Tap water can alsoirritate exposed nerve endings causing intensified pain and discomfort.Finally, hypothermia can be induced by the use of tap water becausewater cools by uncontrolled evaporation.

It is therefore desirable to provide an improved burn dressing that hasgood bacteriostatic activity and that aids in the care of burn wounds.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Generally speaking, in accordance with the invention a burn dressing inthe form of a synthetic non-woven fabric carrier impregnated with athickened aqueous solution or water based gel is provided. The activeingredients of the solution are preferably Tea Tree Oil and/or Tea TreeBlend, bacteriostatic agents and water. The carrier is preferably atwo-layer, non-woven polyester strip or patch and is preferably storedwith the gel in a pocket size storage pouch. A thickening agent or gummaterial should be used to maintain the water and active ingredients ina thickened or gel state. Other ingredients can also be provided forincreasing shelf life and for imparting additional bacteriostaticproperties.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improvedburn dressing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a burn care product thatcan be applied directly to a burn wound.

A further object of the invention is to provide a burn dressing that canbe applied directly to a burn injury to promote healing of the injury.

Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part beobvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.

The invention accordingly comprises a product possessing features,properties, and the relation of components and the several steps and therelation of one or more of such steps with respect to each of the othersthereof, which will be exemplified in the product and method hereinafterdescribed, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in theclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference is had to thefollowing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a burn dressing, in accordance with anembodiment of the invention, showing an opened storage pouch containinga thickened aqueous solution or gel and a folded fabric carrier;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the non-woven fabric carrier of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the fabric carrier of FIG. 2, takenalong a line 3--3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A burn dressing in accordance with the invention is formed of a fabriccarrier impregnated with a burn care gel or thickened solution forreducing heat and providing bacteriostatic properties. The fabric ispreferably a non-woven synthetic material that will hold a substantialquantity of gel to apply an effective amount of gel to a burn wound toreduce heat and help prevent infection. The fabric should be capable ofbeing sanitized by radiation and non-irritating to burned tissue. Thegel should be therapeutic, non-toxic, bacteriostatic, water soluble andbio-degradable. It is preferable to include Tea Tree Oil or Tea TreeBlend in the gel.

An especially preferred fabric carrier for applying the burn care gel toa wound is formed of polyester, such as polyethylene terephthalate(PET), especially medical grade non-woven 100% polyester fabric. Thefabric may also contain other synthetic fibers such as rayon and caninclude surface finishing agents. The polyester fabric can be formedinto strips or patches having dimensions ranging from about 2"×2" toabout 12"×20". The strips are preferably in a layered construction topromote gel retention between the layers. A fabric carrier constructedin accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention can holdabout 12 to 25 grams of gel per gram of carrier. The fabric strips canbe combined with the burn treatment gel in pocket sized pouches toprovide a convenient method for transporting the burn dressing. Measuresshould be undertaken throughout production to insure proper sanitizationand the final product can be sterilized by appropriate radiationsterilization techniques.

A non-woven fabric carrier 100 in accordance with one embodiment of theinvention is shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. FIG. 1 also shows a storagepouch containing a quantity of a gel or a thickened aqueous solution 10for impregnating carrier 100. It is preferable to include an excess ofgel or aqueous solution 10, beyond the absorbance capacity of carrier100 in a storage pouch 20. Carrier 100 can be folded, as shown in FIG.1, prior to insertion into pouch 20. FIG. 1 shows pouch 20 in the openedcondition. Ordinarily, pouch 20 is sealed at all four sides.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show a plurality of heat sealed portions 110 of carrier100. Heat sealed portions 110 provide a plurality of pouches 115 betweenthe two layers of carrier 100. The embodiment shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3are merely exemplary and other embodiments such as those having 2×2square pouches, 2×3 square pouches and other configurations of thefabric carrier and pouch are also possible in accordance with theinvention. Sealed portions 110 can also be sealed sonically.

It is preferable to include Tea Tree Oil in gel or solution 10. Tea TreeOil is a natural oil obtained from Melaleuca Alternifolia, a tree thatgrows on the north coastal areas of the state of New South Wales and insouthern Queensland, Australia. Principle active constituents of teatree oil are 1-terpinen-4-Ol, terpinolene, cineole, sesquiterpenes,p-cymene and pinene. Similar types of oils are obtained from alliedspecies of Melaleuca such as Melaleuca lineariifolia and Melaleucaleucadendron.

A preferred material for a storage pouch such as pouch 20 has a threelayer construction of a layer of polyester having a layer of aluminumthereon and a layer of Scotchpak® heat sealable polyester film 229thereon. Scotchpak® -229 is available from the Specialty Film Productsdivision of 3M of St. Paul Minn. The three layers are adhered withadhesive.

A burn care product prepared in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention can include a thickened aqueous solution or a gel containingwater and Tea Tree Oil and/or Tea Tree Blend sold by G. R. Davis PtyLtd. of Hornby, Australia as its active ingredients. Other embodimentscontain tea tree oil mixed with other anti-bacterial and preservativeagents. Additional ingredients can include benzalkonium chloride,quaternary ammonium salts and the like. A gum material or thickeningagent is used for forming the gel and/or keeping the ingredientsdispersed evenly in the aqueous solution. Surfactants and oils, such asglycerine, can also be included to keep the dressing from drying and toimprove the penetrating properties of the solution. Additionalingredients can be used to improve the shelf life and impartbacteriostatic properties.

In one preferred embodiment, ordinary tap water, purified water, U.S.P.grade purified water, sterile water, halogenated water, especiallychlorinated water which is also known as bleach water or chloropactinand mixtures thereof are used. The water is used in an amount betweenabout 80 and 98% by weight of the solution. In a more preferredembodiment, the amount of water is between about 90 and 97% by weight ofthe solution.

A gum can be used as a thickening agent to provide a solution or gel ofincreased viscosity. The function of the gum is to keep the water inplace and to provide a gel. Many types of gums can be used. Suitablegums include, but are not limited to, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, guargum and the like and mixtures thereof. Alginates, carrageenans andpolyacrylamides can also be included. In one especially preferredembodiment of the invention, KELTROL® manufactured by Kelco Company ofClark, N.J. is used. KELTROL® is formed of 100% xanthan gum. The gum isused in an amount of between about 0.5 and 5% by weight. Morepreferably, the gum is used in an amount between about 0.5 and 3% byweight and most preferably, the gum is used in the amount of betweenabout. 0.6 and 1% by weight.

Alternatively, either KELGUM® or KELSET® can be used as all or part ofthe gum material. Both KELGUM® and KELSET® are manufactured by KelcoCompany of Clark, N.J. KELGUM® is a 50:50 mixture of xanthan gum andlocust bean gum and KELSET® is 100% calcium alginate, a gum-typematerial.

Other ingredients are also optionally included in the burn treatmentproduct prepared in accordance with the invention. One such ingredientthat can be used for providing smoothness and emollient properties isglycerin. Glycerin can be used either alone or in solution of sorbitolor other physiologically safe polyhydrcxy compounds such as propyleneglycol. Glycerin should be used in a maximum of up to about 5% by weightand preferably between about 0.5 and 3%. Most preferably, glycerin isused in an amount of about 1%.

A surfactant or surface active agent can be used in a quantitysufficient to maintain the emulsion. Preferred surfactants includeoctoxynol, nonoxynol, alkarylpolyglycol esters, cocoalkylomaide andamine neutralized tridecylbenzene sulphonates. In a preferredembodiment, the amount of surfactant is between about 0.07 and 0.25% byweight, preferably about 0.1%. Suitable surfactants include, but are notlimited to, SURFAX 90® and octoxynol 9.

Additives such as Zephyrin chloride or other equivalent compounds can beused to control infection. Suitable eauivalent compounds can includequaternary compounds such as benzalkonium compounds. Other additivessuch as picloxydine, octyphenoxy polyethoxyethanol and benzalkoniumchloride are also desirable.

A liquid preservative such as PHENONIP® can also be included. PHENONIP®is a mixture of phenoxyethanol, methytparaben, ethylpareben,propylparaben and butylparaben. Such a preservative should be used in anamount between about 0.125 and 0.35% by weight, more preferably, betweenabout 0.2 and 0.25%±0.01%.

Methylparaben is a bacteriostat and can be used as a preservative eitherwith or without PHENONIP®. Such a preservative can be used in an amountbetween about 0.01 and 0.5%, more preferably about 0.25%.

In still another alternate embodiment, diazolidinyl urea orimidazolidinyl urea II is included as a preservative. Imidazolidinylurea II is sold under the tradename GERMALL® II by Sutton Laboratories,Inc. It has the molecular formula C₈ H₁₄ N₄ O₇ and the chemicalnameN-(Hydroxymethyl-N-(1,3-dihydroxymethyl-2,5-dioxo-4-imidazolidinyl-N'-hydroxymethyl)Urea.

GERMALL® II is a useful preservative because it has a wide spectrum ofactivity, particularly against troublesome house microorganisms. It isactive against gram negative bacteria such as Pseudomonas as well asagainst yeast and mold. The urea is preferably used in an amount between0.1 and 0.35%. It can be used alone or in combination with parabens.

Pre-mixed combinations of ingredients are also suitable. For example,GERMABEN® manufactured by Sutton Laboratories, Inc. can be used as areplacement for some or all of the parabens.

The gel or thickened aqueous solution can include Tea Tree Blend. TeaTree Blend is a mixture of terpenes and terpinols that are generallynaturally occurring, but can be synthetically prepared. The terpene andterpinol compounds can be obtained either as pure compounds derived fromthe natural oils or as mixtures of components derived from plants ofMelaleuca alternifolia, Melaleuca lineariifolia, Melaleuca leucadendron,Eucalyptus longirostris and closely related species. In a preferredembodiment, Tea Tree Blend is a blend of tea tree oil and certaindistillate fractions of eucalyptus oil which provides a product havingcharacteristics similar to those of tea tree oil and which can be usedto extend the available supply of teat tree oil.

However, it has been discovered that a burn dressing prepared inaccordance with the invention using Tea Tree Blend has enhancedbacteriostatic properties as compared with a similar burn dressingprepared using tea tree oil. Although Tea Tree Blend and tea tree oilare similar in many respects, Tea Tree Blend has a higher proportion oflevo-rotary enantiomers. It is thought that it is these levo-rotaryenantiomers that lead to the enhanced properties of a burn dressingprepared using Tea Tree Blend.

Tea Tree Blend has the following major constituents in the approximatepercentages designated below, as determined by gas chromatography incombination with mass spectrometry. All percentages are by weight andcan vary by up to about plus or minus 10%.

    ______________________________________                                        ρ-mentha 1,5,diene                                                                           0-35%                                                      α-terpineol 15-20%                                                      terpinen-4-ol     12-15%                                                      1,8,cineole        7-14%                                                      α-terpinene 4%                                                          ρ-cymeme      3-7%                                                        γ-terpinene 3-7%                                                        α-pinene    2-6%                                                        limonene          1-5%                                                        aromadendrene     1%                                                          terpinolene       1-3%                                                        myrcene           0-1%                                                        α-phellandrene                                                                             0-14%                                                      ______________________________________                                    

The remainder of the Blend is made up of some or all of the followingcompounds, with no single compound being above about 1% of the Blend.

    ______________________________________                                        β-pinene     humulene                                                    camphene          γ-muurolene                                           camphor           α-muurolene                                           sabinene          viridiflorene                                               myrcene           piperitone                                                  1,4,cineole       piperitol                                                   hexanol           α-cadinene                                            allyl hexanoate   nerol                                                       p-α-dimethylstyrene                                                                       geraniol                                                    α-cubebene  8-p-cymenol                                                 α-copaene   calamenene                                                  α-gurjunene α-eudesmol                                            linalool          β-eudesmol                                             1-terpineol       australol                                                   β-terpineol  traces of sesquiterpenes                                    β-elemene    caryophyllene                                               alloaromadendrene                                                             4,10-dimethyl-7-isopropyl bicyclo(4,4,0)-1-4-decadiene                        ______________________________________                                    

Since the Blend is not a natural oil, the variation in compositionexhibited by natural oils can be minimized leading to standardization ofburn treatment. However, some variation is still present, particularlyin the minor constituents.

The physical constants of the Blend are generally as follows:

    ______________________________________                                        Refractive index at 20° C.                                                             between about 1.4743 and 1.4813                               Relative density at 20° C.                                                             between about 0.890 and 0.910                                 Optical rotation at 20° C.                                                             between about -14° and -24°                     Solubility in 85% ethanol                                                                     soluble in less that an about                                 (v/v) at 20° C.                                                                        1.5 vols                                                      General description                                                                           clear, colorless to pale yellow                                               liquid, mobile at 20° C.                               ______________________________________                                    

Tea Tree Blend was tested for anti-bacterial activity against a varietyof organisms and the following results were obtained form a 1:125dilution of the Blend in water, a 1:250 dilution of the Blend in waterand a reference standard:

    ______________________________________                                                     1:125   1:250     Ref. stand                                     ______________________________________                                        TIME 0                                                                        Staphylococcus aureus                                                                        8.2 × 10.sup.5                                                                    1.5 × 10.sup.6                                                                    1.4 × 10.sup.6                       Escherichia coli                                                                             5.0 × 10.sup.1                                                                    2.1 × 10.sup.3                                                                    9.5 × 10.sup.5                       Pseudomonas aeruginosa                                                                       <1.0      1.6 × 10.sup.6                                                                    1.5 × 10.sup.6                       Pseudomonas vulgaris                                                                         6.0 × 10.sup.1                                                                    1.0 × 10.sup.3                                                                    7.4 × 10.sup.5                       Candida albicans                                                                             5.1 × 10.sup.4                                                                    6.7 × 10.sup.4                                                                    5.8 × 10.sup.4                       Aspergillus niger                                                                            3.0 × 10.sup.5                                                                    7.5 × 10.sup.5                                                                    7.5 × 10.sup.5                       TIME 7 DAYS                                                                   Staphylococcus aureus                                                                        <1.0      <1.0      <1.0                                       Escherichia coli                                                                             <1.0      <1.0      1.7 × 10.sup.6                       Pseudomonas aeruginosa                                                                       <1.0      1.1 × 10.sup.7                                                                    1.4 × 10.sup.6                       Pseudomonas vulgaris                                                                         <1.0      <1.0      2.8 × 10.sup.5                       Candida albicans                                                                             <1.0      <1.0      4.9 × 10.sup.4                       Aspergillus niger                                                                            5.5 × 10.sup.5                                                                    4.5 × 10.sup.5                                                                    4.5 × 10.sup.5                       TIME 28 DAYS                                                                  Staphylococcus <1.0                <1.0                                       Escherichia coli                                                                             <1.0                9.1 × 10.sup.5                       Pseudomonas aeruginosa                                                                       <1.0                4.6 × 10.sup.5                       Pseudomonas vulgaris                                                                         <1.0                7.3 × 10.sup.5                       Candida albicans                                                                             <1.0                1.1 × 10.sup.5                       Aspergillus niger                                                                            5.0 × 10.sup.4                                                                              4.5 × 10.sup.5                       ______________________________________                                    

It is believed that it is the interaction of the various compounds inthe Tea Tree Blend that provides the anti-bacterial effect. Use of anyof the compounds separately is not effective.

The Tea Tree Blend itself is flammable and Tea Tree Blend or tea treeoil should be used in an amount of less than about 20% of the burntreatment product. In an alternate embodiment of the invention, Tea TreeBlend is used in combination with tea tree oil and the total amount ofTea Tree Blend and/or tea tree oil is between about 0.1% and 20%. In amore preferred embodiment, the Tea Tree Blend, tea tree oil or themixture is used in an amount between about 0.1 and 5.0%, morepreferably, between about 0.5 and 1.5%.

The following examples show the preparation of burn dressings preparedin accordance with the invention. These examples are presented forpurposes of illustration only and are not intended to be construed in alimiting sense.

EXAMPLE 1

A particularly well suited gel has the following composition.

    ______________________________________                                        Ingredients          Grade     % w/w                                          ______________________________________                                        Glycerin             U.S.P.    1.0                                            Octoxynol 9 (TRITON X-100 ®)                                                                   N.P.      0.1                                            Tea Tree Oil, Natural                                                                              --        0.5                                            Propylene Glycol (and) Diazolidinyl                                                                C.T.F.A.  1.0                                            Urea (and) Methylparaben (and)                                                Propylparaben (GERMABEN II ®)                                             Xanthan Gum (KELTROL 1000 ®)                                                                   N.F.      1.0                                            Purified Water       U.S.P.    96.4                                           Total                          100.0                                          ______________________________________                                    

The glycerin, octoxynol 9, tea tree oil and GERMABEN II were combined ina pre-sanitized stainless steel container and mixed with a LightninMixer. The xanthan gum was added and a smooth slurry was formed. Thepurified water was charged to a pre-sanitized batching tank equippedwith a Lightnin Mixer and side-sweep agitation. During constantagitation, the slurry was incorporated and the ingredients were mixedfor at least one hour to yield a homogeneous lump free gel product.

The gel had the following characteristics:

    ______________________________________                                        l.  Appearance               A fluid but viscous                                                           off-white gel, having                                                         a characteristic odor.                           2.  pH                       4.5-7.0                                          3.  Specific Gravity                                                                            25° C./25° C.                                                              0.97-1.02                                        4.  Viscosity (cps)          1000-12000                                           Brookfield Model                                                              RVT, spindle size                                                             #3, speed 20 r.p.m.                                                       5.  Total Parabens (%)                                                                          0.35       Range:                                                                        (Theoretical amount                                                0.315-0.385                                                                              ± 10% of Theoretical)                         6   Diazolidinyl Urea                                                                           0.3        Range:                                               ( %)                     (Theoretical amount                                                0.23-0.33  ± 10% of Theoretical)                         7.  Microbiological          Less than 100 bacteria                               Limits Test              and less than 100 molds                                                       per gram of product                              ______________________________________                                    

The off-white, translucent, smooth viscous gel product was added toaluminum pouches containing dressing strips of non-woven PolyesterStaple to yield a burn dressing product. Polyester Staple is a family offiber products made from polyethylene terephthalate polymer. PolyesterStaple is typically not irritating to human skin but will burn ifexposed to flame. The pouches were then sealed and sterilized by gammaradiation at 1.10 Mrad (minimum) to 1.70 Mrad (maximum).

EXAMPLE 2

A particularly well suited carrier is formed of 100% polyester non-wovenmedical grade fabric and is available from the Veratec division ofHoechst Celanese Corporation, Charlotte, N.C. This fabric hasapproximately the same absorbtivity (about 12 to 25 grams of gelabsorbed per square yard or gram of fabric) of the gel of Example 1 asdoes wool i.e., this fabric can hold the same quantity of gel as wooland can therefore provide similar burn care qualities. It has beendetermined that such fabric is particularly useful in providing aneffective amount of gel without creating any problems associated withgel spillage and excessive gel retention in the carrier. This fabric isalso shown to be suitable for contact with wound areas and is notirritating. The fabric is both sonically sealable and heat sealable andis preferably provided. in a two layer structure with the two layerssealed at selected positions to form a plurality of sealed pouches.These pouches aid in holding gel and improve the burn care properties ofthe device.

The use of a non-woven synthetic carrier has advantages over naturalwool. When wool is processed, impurities from wool treatment andprocessing remains in the fibers. These impurities vary, depending onthe wool source. These impurities can react unfavorably with the burntreatment gel or with the burn wound. Accordingly, burdensome proceduresmust be employed to provide an acceptable wool carrier. Furthermore, itis desirable to sterilize the burn treatment product by radiationtreatment. Synthetic fabrics are more suitable for such sterilizationthan are natural fabrics. Accordingly, a synthetic fabric carrier hasadvantages.

Two 2"×6" strips were sealed at the edges and twice cross-wise to yieldthree 2"×2" pouches such as is shown in FIG. 2. These strips had aninitial weight of about 1.8 gm and could absorb about 33-36 gm of thegel described in Example 1 (about 18-20 grams gel per gram carrier). A2"×2" single layer strip of this fabric will hold about 6 grams of gel;a 4"×4" strip had a fill volume of about 44.0 g±2.0 g; and a 4"×14"strip had a fill volume of about 127.0 g±2.0 g. This absorbtivity hasbeen determined as being in the preferred optimum range of 12 to 25 ofgel/g carrier as providing desired results without the disadvantages ofinsufficient or excessive absorbtivity.

Other tests were conducted and yielded the following absorbtivity data:

2"×6"- 15.368 g/g and/or 2.21 g/sq. inch

4"×4"- 14.574 g/g and/or 2.052 g/sq. inch

4"×14"- 13.864 g/g and/or 1.802 g/sq. inch

The fabric used in this Example can be characterized as follows:

    ______________________________________                                                           SPECIFICATION                                              PROPERTY/REQUIREMENT                                                                             & TOLERANCE                                                ______________________________________                                        Cut Length, inches 1.45 ± 0.10                                             Denier filament    1.38 ± 0.24                                             Tenacity, g/dyne   6.2 ± 1.0                                               Elongation, %      24.0 ± 15.1                                             Crimp, %           27.0 ± 4.5                                              Crimp Frequency, crimps/inch                                                                     12.5 ± 2.5                                              Fiber Openness     9.2 ± 3.1                                               Color L            94.5 ± 1.7                                              b                  1.2 ± 0.8                                               Optical Brightener None                                                       TiO2, Ti Content, ppm                                                                            1600 ± 200                                              Moisture %         Target 0.4, Max                                            Finish Type        12                                                         Finish, %          0.13 ± 0.05                                             Contamination-Splinters,                                                                         0 (30 max.)                                                per pound          Free from all foreign                                                         matter and off-color fiber.                                Sale weight, lb.   775 + 25                                                                      -50                                                        ______________________________________                                        Denier            Single                                                      Weight (g/sq yd)  68.9                                                        Thickness (mils)  44.3                                                        Strip tensile (lb/in)                                                         MD                27.7                                                        CD                9.7                                                         Absorbency (water)                                                            Time (sec)        60+                                                         Capacity (g/g)    11.1                                                        ______________________________________                                    

EXAMPLE 3

The gel of Example 1 was altered to increase the Xanthan Gum to 1.25%W/w and the purified water was decreased to 94.5% W/w. The resultant gelhad increased viscosity and improved adherence to the carrier. Thecarrier was the 100% non-woven medical grade polyester fabric of Example2.

EXAMPLE 4

360 ml of glycerin (12.2 oz), 719 ml of SURFAX 90® (24.2 oz), 360 ml ofTea Tree Blend (12.2 oz) and 719 ml of GERMABEN® (24.2 oz) were combinedand mixed thoroughly. 719 g of KELTROL® (1.61 lbs) was gradually addedwith stirring. The resulting liquid mixture was added to 19.3 gallons ofwater and mixed thoroughly for about 15 minutes.

The product has a specific gravity of 0.968, a pH of 6.4 and remained agel at temperatures of greater than about 110° F. The product had aviscosity as measured using a Brookfield #3 spindle at 200 rpm of 2250cps. The product tested positive for a surfactant xanthan gum, GERMABENII®, glycerin, Tea Tree Blend and KELTROL® even after 5 freeze/thawcycles. No colonies were observed using a microbiological Milliporetest.

EXAMPLE 5

A gel was prepared as described in Example 4 except that 719 g ofKELSET® was substituted for the KELTROL®.

The gel has a specific gravity of 0.99, a pH of 6.7 and remained a gelat temperatures of greater than about 110° F. The gel had a viscosity asmeasured using a Brookfield #3 spindle at 20 rpm of 2500 cps. The geltested positive for a surfactant, xanthan gum, GERMABEN II®, glycerin,Tea Tree Blend and KELTROL® even after 5 freeze, thaw cycles. Nocolonies were observed using a microbiological Millipore test.

In general, an embodiment of the gel in accordance with the inventionconforms to the following description:

    ______________________________________                                        Appearance       A fluid but viscous off-white                                                 gel, having a characteristic                                                  odor.                                                        pH               4.5-7.0                                                      Specific gravity 25° C./25° C.                                                   0.97-1.02                                                    Viscosity (cps)  1000-12000                                                   Brookfield Model RVT,                                                         Spindle size #3,                                                              Speed 20rpm                                                                   Total parabens   Between about 0.315 and 0.385%                               Diazolidinyl Urea (5)                                                                          Between about 0.27 and 0.33%                                 Microbiological limits test                                                                    Less than 100 Bacteria and less                                               than 100 Molds per ml of                                                      product.                                                     Stability        Over a wide temperature range.                               ______________________________________                                    

A gel formed in accordance with the invention is used by directapplication to a burn wound. When the gel is provided with a carrier,the entire carrier can be used to cover the burn. Debridement of thewound prior to use of the burn treatment product is not necessary as thedressing will actually aid in such debridement.

The burn care solution of the invention rapidly penetrates throughclothing and wets, cools and soothes a burn area. The burn area is wet,cooled and soothed not only on the surface, but also beneath thesurface, thereby reducing progression of the area and the severity ofthe burn. The burn dressing cools by heat transference and helps tocreate an isothermic environment when severe and/or massive burns areinvolved. In addition, the burn dressing helps reduce the possibility ofcontamination by completely covering the burn wound and by helping toblock out air-born bacteria. Clothing and skin tissue do not adhere tothe burn dressing and when the dressing is removed, no additional painor skin damage is caused.

The burn dressing provided in accordance with the invention isnon-toxic, water soluble and retains its properties even after extendedstorage. It is suitable for use with any type of burn, includingchemical burns. Furthermore, the method of using the product is easy andpainless.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those madeapparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and,since certain changes may be made in the above product without departingfrom the spirit and the scope of the invention, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description shall be interpreted asillustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended tocover all of the generic and specific features of the invention hereindescribed and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as amatter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Particularly it is to be understood that in said claims, ingredients orcompounds recited in the singular are intended to include compatiblemixtures of such ingredients wherever the sense permits.

What is claimed is:
 1. A burn dressing comprising a pocket-sized andstorage-stable package containing therein a sterile burn dressingsuitable for emergency burn treatment comprising a non-woven carrierimpregnated with a bacteriostatic aqueous gel or thickened aqueoussolution for treatment of a skin burn comprised of about 80 to about 98%water, and having a viscosity of about 1,000 to about 12,000 cps, asmeasured using a Brookfield No. 3 spindle at about 20 rpm, wherein thedressing carrier includes a plurality of pouches or voids and iseffective to carry about 12 to about 25 grams of the aqueous burntreatment per gram of the carrier for delivery to the burn, and torelease the burn treatment upon application to the burn.
 2. The burndressing of claim 1 wherein the burn dressing is sterilized by exposureto radiation.
 3. The burn dressing of claim 1 holding about 18 to about20 grams of gel per gram of the carrier.
 4. The burn dressing of claim 1wherein the carrier is comprised of medical grade polyester fibers orcombinations of polyester and rayon.
 5. The burn dressing of claim 1wherein the burn treatment comprises about 90-97% by weight water.
 6. Aburn dressing of claim 1 comprising:a carrier comprised of a non-wovenfabric, wherein said non-woven fabric includes separated layers havingportions that connect the layers and having a plurality of pouches whichcontain a bacteriostatic aqueous composition impregnated therein,wherein said aqueous composition includes from 80 to 98 weight percentwater and a thickening agent that produces a viscosity of said aqueouscomposition from about 1000 to about 12,000 cps as measured using aBrookfield spindle at 20 rpm and improved adherence of said aqueouscomposition to said non-woven fabric as compared to the adherence ofpurified water such that said carrier is capable of holding from about12 to about 25 grams of said aqueous composition per gram of carrier. 7.The burn dressing of claim 6 wherein said portions are formed by heatsealing.
 8. The burn dressing of claim 6 wherein said portions areformed by sonically sealing.
 9. A burn dressing product of claim 1comprising:a sealed storage pouch containing (a) a carrier comprised ofa non-woven fabric, wherein said non-woven fabric includes separatedlayers having portions that connect the layers and having a plurality ofpouches; and (b) an aqueous composition having bacteriostaticproperties, wherein said aqueous composition includes from 80 to 98weight percent water and a thickening agent that produces a viscosity ofsaid aqueous composition from about 1000 to about 12,000 cps as measuredusing a Brookfield #3 spindle at 20 rpm and improved adherence of saidaqueous composition to said non-woven fabric as compared to theadherence of purified water such that said carrier is capable of holdingfrom about 12 to about 25 grams of said aqueous composition per gram ofcarrier; wherein said aqueous composition is impregnated in saidplurality of pouches.
 10. A method of preparing a burn dressing of claim6 comprising:preparing a carrier comprised of a non-woven fabric,wherein said non-woven fabric includes separated layers having portionsthat connect the layers and having a plurality of pouches; impregnatingsaid plurality of pouches with an aqueous composition havingbacteriostatic properties, wherein said aqueous composition from 80 to98 weight percent water and a thickening agent that produces a viscosityof said aqueous composition from about 1000 to about 12,000 cps asmeasured using a Brookfield #3 spindle at 20 rpm and improved adherenceof said aqueous composition to said non-woven fabric as compared to theadherence of purified water such that said carrier is capable of holdingfrom about 12 to about 25 grams of said aqueous composition per gram ofcarrier; and sterilizing the impregnated carrier.
 11. A method ofpreparing a burn dressing product of claim 1 comprising:placing acarrier comprised of a non-woven fabric in a storage pouch, wherein saidnon-woven fabric includes separated layers having portions that connectthe layers and having a plurality of pouches; adding an aqueouscomposition having bacteriostatic properties to said storage pouch,wherein said aqueous composition includes from 80 to 98 weight percentwater and a thickening agent that produces a viscosity of said aqueouscomposition from about 1000 to about 12,000 cps as measured using aBrookfield #3 spindle at 20 rpm and improved adherence of Said aqueouscomposition to said non-woven fabric as compared to the adherence ofpurified water such that said carrier is capable of holding from about12 to about 25 grams of said aqueous composition per gram of carrier;sealing said storage pouch; and sterilizing said storage pouch.
 12. Amethod of treating a burn wound comprising:applying a burn dressingaccording to claim 1 to a burn wound wherein said burn dressingcomprises a carrier comprised of a non-woven fabric, wherein saidnon-woven fabric includes separated layers having portions that connectthe layers and having a plurality of pouches which contain an aqueouscomposition having bacteriostatic properties impregnated therein,wherein said aqueous composition from 80 to 98 weight percent water anda thickening agent that produces a viscosity of said aqueous compositionfrom about 1000 to about 12,000 cps as measured using a Brookfield #3spindle at 20 rpm and improved adherence of said aqueous composition tosaid non-woven fabric as compared to the adherence of purified watersuch that said carrier is capable of holding from about 12 to about 25grams of said aqueous composition per gram of carrier.
 13. A burndressing of claim 1 comprising:a carrier comprised of a single denier,medical grade non-woven 100% polyethylene terephthalate fabric having aweight of about 68.9 g/yd and a thickness of about 44.3 mils, whereinsaid non-woven fabric is comprised of a non-woven fabric, wherein saidnon-woven fabric includes separated layers having portions that connectthe layers and having a plurality of pouches which containbacteriostatic water based gel impregnated therein, and wherein said gelcomprises about 1% glycerin, about 0.1% octoxynol 9, about 1.0% of acombination of glycol, diazolidinyl urea, methylparaben andpropylparaben, about 1% xanthan gum, about 96% purified water and about0.5% tea tree oil.
 14. The burn dressing of claim 6 wherein saidthickening agent comprises a gum material permitting formation of a burntreatment gel.
 15. The burn dressing of claim 14 wherein said burntreatment gel comprises tea tree oil.
 16. The burn dressing of claim 14wherein said burn treatment gel comprises tea tree blend.
 17. The burndressing of claim 14 wherein said gum material comprises a gum selectedfrom the group consisting of xanthum gum, locust bean gum and guar gum.18. The burn dressing of claim 14 wherein said gum material comprises anapproximately 50:50 mixture of xanthum gum and locust bean gum.
 19. Theburn dressing of claim 1 wherein said non-woven carrier comprisesmedical grade non-woven polyethylene terephthalate.
 20. The burndressing of claim 1 wherein said non-woven carrier comprises a singledenier, medical grade non-woven 100% polyethylene terephthalate having aweight of about 68.9 g/yd and a thickness of about 44.3 mils.
 21. Theburn dressing of claim 20 wherein said medical grade non-woven 100%polyethylene terephthalate holds at least about 12 to about 25 grams ofgel per gram of fabric.
 22. The burn dressing of claim 20 wherein saidmedical grade non-woven 100% polyethylene terephthalate holds at leastabout 18 to about 20 grams of gel per gram of fabric.
 23. The burndressing of claim 1 wherein said carrier comprises a strip havingdimensions ranging from about 2"×2" to about 12"×20".
 24. The burndressing product of claim 9 wherein said sealed storage pouch includesan excess of said aqueous composition beyond the absorbance capacity ofsaid carrier.
 25. The burn dressing product of claim 9 wherein saidsealed storage pouch is a sealed aluminum storage pouch.